Hydraulic type log debarker having plural log-rotating chucks independently revolvable about a common axis



Nov. 16, 1948. sw F 2,453,947

HYDRAULIC TYPE LOG-DEBARKER HAVING PLURAL LOG-ROTATING CHUCKS INDEPENDENTLY REVOLVABLE ABOUT A common AXIS FilBd D90. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR W4 @Jww N+ Mann Nov. 16, 1948. F. H. SWIFT 2,453,947

HYDRAULIC TYPE LOG-DEBARKER HAVING PLURAL LOG-ROTATING CHUCKS INDEPENDENTLY REVOLVABLE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS Filed Dec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR jZm/a 5M7? ATTORNEY Nov. 16, 1948. F H. sw||-r 2,453,947

HYDRAULIC TYPE llOG-DEBARKER HAVING PLURAL LOG-ROTATING CHUCKS INDEPENDENTLY REVOLVABLE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS Filed Dec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Zia/2A 01 621,455

ATTORNEY Nov. 16, 1948.

F. I H. SWIFT 2,453,947

HYDRAULIC TYPE LOG-DEBARKER HAVING PLURAL LOG-ROTATING CHUCKS .INDEPENDBN'I'LY REVOLVABLE ABOUT A COIION AXIS Filed Dec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Shoat 4 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 16, 1948. F. H. SWIFT 2,453,947

HYDRAULIC TYPE LOG-DEBARKER HAVING PLURAL LOG-ROTATING CHUCKS INDEPENDENTLY REVOLVABLE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS Filed Dec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Cnqlmlmlm mic;

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 16, 1948 HYDRAULIC TYPE L o. nnnnnkna HAVING PLURAL LOG-ROTATING CHUCKS INDE- PENDENTLY MON AXIS Frank H. Swift, Portland, Oreg.,

REVOLVABLE ABOUT A COM- asslgnor to Crown Zellerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application December 22, 1945, Serial No. 637,002

Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to the debarking of logs by hydraulic means, and, more specifically, to the debarking of short length logs of various sizes.

At the present time short lengths of logs are generally regarded as unfit for debarking and consequently are customarily wasted or used merely as fuel. This is due to the fact that the debarking of such short length logs in ordinary log b'arking machines, if the machines are capable of handling short lengths, consume so much time and labor that the results are not considered justifiable. On the other hand such short logs, if they can be debarked economically, will yield much additional valuable wood for pulp mills.

The object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic g barking machine which is particularly adapted for short lengths of logs, in,

which such logs can be profitably handled at a minimum cost in time and labor. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a hydraulic barking machine for short logs which will handle logs of a wide range of diameters and which will be simple and easy to operate.

These objects and incidental advantages I attain by providing a double pair of positioning arms carrying supporting chucks for the logs, so arranged that, during the time one log is being debarked, another log can be loaded into the barking machine; and also by constructing and arranging the various parts of my machine substantially as hereinafter briefly described.

In the following description reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation taken from the intake side of my machine, with the means for conveying the logs to the machine omitted for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken on the plane indicated by the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan section on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation taken of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of the hydraulic nozzle carriage shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section corresponding to the lines 66 of Fig. 2; with part of the machine frame omitted for the sake of clarity; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on lines l! of Fig.2.

The machine is supported in a frame including a pair of main base members I0, connected by intermediate transverse beams H, the latter supporting the central members l2. A central main standard I3 is supported on the members l2 (see Figs. 3 and 6). Pairs of end beams 14 and I5 are welded to the tops of the main base members from the right In at each end. Four upright I-beams IS, with their bottom ends rigidly mounted on the base, support the top frame which is indicated as a whole by the reference character l1, and suitable braces such as l8, are provided to make the entire superstructure sufficiently rigi A main shaft l9 (Fig. 3) extends across the machine and is rotatably supported near each end on the standards 20 and 2| which are mounted on top of the pairs of end beams l4 and I5 respectively.

A rotatable tubular casing 22 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) extends over the central portion of main shaft l9 and is also rotatably supported in the central standard IS. A pair of hollow log-carrying arms 23 and 24 are journaled on the main shaft I9 at each end of the tubular casing 22, and their adjacent journal portions 25 and 26 (see Fig. 3) are secured to the respective ends of the tubular casing 22. The arms 23 and 24 extend in the same plane and they and the tubular casing 22 are adapted to rotate in unison about the main shaft l9, as is apparent from Fig. 3. The outside journal portion 2'! of the arm 24 is connected to a second tubular casing 28 (Figs, 2 and 3), to the right hand end of which (as viewed in Fig. 3), a worm gear 29 is keyed. A motor 30 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), is connected to a worm shaft 3| (Fig. 3), through suitable reduction gears contained in a housing 32. The worm shaft engages with worm gear 29 and thus the log carrying arms 23 and 24 will be rotated in unison about the main shaft l9 whenever the motor 30 is operated.

A second pair of log-carrying arms 33 and 34 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6), similar to the arms 23 and 24, are keyed to the main shaft I9, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. A worm gear 35 is keyed to the right hand end of shaft l9 (as viewed in Fig. 3). A worm shaft 36, driven from a motor 3'1 (Fig. 2) through the intermediary of suitable reduction gears located within housing 38, engages the worm gear 35. Thus the pair of log-carrying arms 33 and 34 will berotated in unison whenever the motor 31 is operated.

A chuck shaft 39 (Fig. 3) is rotatably mounted in a chuck carriage 40. The chuck carriage 40 is slidably mounted on the arm 34 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). A bracket arm 4| (Fig. 3), secured to the chuck carriage 40, is attached to a piston rod 42 operating in a cylinder 43 which is carried by the arm 34. Suitable pneumatic or hydraulic means (such means not being shown in the drawings), is connected to the cylinder 43 so that the piston head 44, and with it the piston rod 42, chuck shaft 39 and chuck 45 can be moved in either direction. The chuck 45 carries suitable engaging pins or similar means adapted for engaging and holding the end of a log.

A similar chuck carriage 46, is slidably mounted on the arm 24, and similar means, including a cylinder 41, are arranged to adjust the position of the chuck 43.

A chuck 49 (Fig. 3) is rotatably mounted in the arm 33 in axial alinement with chuck 45. To the inner end of the shaft of the chuck 49 a gear 50 is keyed. Gear 50 meshes with gear also rotatably mounted in arm 33. A sleeve 52 is rotatably mounted on the main shaft i9 near theleft hand end of the same, as viewed in Fig 3, and a second sleeve 53 is rotatably mounted on the outside of the sleeve 52. A ring gear 54, keyed to the inner end of the sleeve 53, meshes with gear 5|. A gear 55, keyed to the outer end of sleeve 53, meshes with a gear on the end of shaft 56. shaft 56 is driven by a motor 51 (Figs. 1 and 2). Thus .operation of the motor 51 will cause the chuck 49 to rotate regardless of the position of the arm 33.

Similarly the chuck 58 rotatably mounted in arm 23, is rotated by motor 59. Thus a gear 50 (Fig. 3), keyed to the outer end of sleeve 52, meshes with a gear on the end of the shaft 6| which is driven by the motor 59. A ring gear 62, secured on the inner end .of sleeve 52, meshes with the gear 53 which in turn meshes with gear 54 keyed to the shaft of the chuck 58.

The chucks 45, 48, '49 and 58 are all located at the same radial distance from the axis of the main shaft l9.

The logs to be debarked are delivered to the machine by suitable conveyor means, such as the endless transfer chains 54 (Figs 2 and 4) In order to hold and position each log prior to its engagement by the log-supporting arms of the machine, I provide a centering cradle or support composed of two identical, substantially vertical and parallel sides 65 and 66. The top edges of these sides constitute the cradle or support 51 having a groove of special formation, the shape of which is shown most clearly at 15 in Fig. 6. The bottom of said groove extends parallel to the man shaift l9 and is located approximately the same distance from the main shaft l9 as the chucks. The two sides of the groove are curved, the curvature being determined by the points of tangency of circles of decreasing radii having their centers located in the are :1: (indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 6) being an arc of a circle similar to that described by the chucks as the pairs of log-carrying arms are rotated about the main shaftl9. In Fig. 6 the broken lines a, b, c, d, e and f, having their centers in the are 1:, may also be regarded as representing logs of different diameters, thus illustrating how logs of such different sizes would be positioned in the groove of the support or cradle 51, as each log in turn is dumped into the cradle 61 from the transfer chains 54, and thus indicating that the centers of the logs will always be substantially in the arc indicated by the dotted line 2:.

A nozzle carriage 58 (Figs. 4 and 5), is mounted for travel on a pair of tracks 59 supported from the top frame 17. An adjustable, downwardlyextending hydraulic nozzle 10 is mounted on the carriage and is connected by a flexible hose H to a suitable source of water under sufiicient pressure to enable a hydraulic jet to be discharged from the nozzle tip capable of removing the bark on the logs being treated in the machine. The nozzle carriage B8 is attached to an endless chain 12 (see also Fig. 1), driven from a reversible motor I3. Suitable reversible switches (not shown) are provided near each end of the track 69 and are connected to the motor 13 so that the carriage 58, and with it the nozzle 10, upon reaching the desired limit of its travel in one direction, will be returned to the opposite end of the tracks. Manual control means (not shown) is also provided for the motor 13 so that the nozzle carriage can be stopped at any desired point, and suitable speed controls are included in the motor controls so that the travel of the nozzle carriage can be regulated as desired to suit the nature and size of the particular log being debarked. Similarly, the motors 51 and 59, which control the rotation of the chucks 49 and 58, have speed controls so that the speed of rotation of the chucks can be regulated when desired.

Briefly, the operation of my machine is as follows: a log is delivered by the transfer chains 54 into the log positioning cradle 61 formed by the two cradle walls 65 and 65. A pair of logcarrying arms, for example the arms 23 and 24, are rotated (by operation of the motor 30), until their chucks 53 and 49 are approximately in line with the axis of the log. The operator then shuts oif motor 30, temporarily stopping the rotational movement of the arms 23 and 24. The chuck 43 is now forced against the end of the log (by operation of the piston in cylinder 41) until the log is firmly secured between the two chucks 58 and 48. The arms 23 and 24 are now given further rotation until the log is in position under the debarking nozzle Ill. The motor 59 is turned on in the meantime causing the log to be rotated while held under the debarking nozzle by the arms 23 and 24. As the log is rotated in this position the motor 13 causes the nozzle carriage to travel at a predetermined rate from one end of the log to the other, thus performing the desired debarking of the entire log.

During the debarking of this log the second leg is delivered into the cradle from the transfer chains 54 and the second pair of arms 33 and 34 are moved (by the operation of motor 31), in clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 6), until their chucks 49 and 45 are in substantial alinement with the axis of the second log. The chuck 45 is then thrust against the end of the second log (by the operation of the piston associated with cylinder 43), until the second log is firmly secured between the chucks 49 and 45. When the debarking of the first log is completed the first pair of arms 23 and 24 are rotated further (in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6), causing the first log to be moved outwardly away from contact with the debarking nozzle jet and down near the standard [3. Thereupon the chuck carriage 45, and with it the chuck 48, is withdrawn from the end of the log causing the first log to roll down on to the second group of transfer chains I4 and thus be conveyed away from the machine. In the mean time the second log, supported on the arms 33, 34, is moved into position under the debarking nozzle and rotated as previousl described. While the second log is being debarked in the same manner a third log is delivered into the cradle and the first pair of arms 23 and 24 are moved further (in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6), until their chucks are in proper position for engaging the third log; and so on.

Consequently, with my device, one log is being secured in place on a pair of arms and chucks while another log is being debarked. It is possible for a single operator, merely by manipulating the switches controlling the motors in my machine and by operating the control means for the two cylinders connected with their respective chucks, to take care of the debarking of short logs in rapid succession. Thus it will be found that, with my machine, short length logs can be very profitably debarked and utilized the same as longer logs.

Of course it would be possible to adapt my machine for use with longer logs, and it is not debarked in the various barking machines which are now being used for long logs. Minor structural changes could also be made in my machine without departing from the principle of my invention.

I claim:

either of said pairs of arms.

3. In a hydraulic barker, a plurality of pairs of arms mounted for rotation about a fixed axis,"

of said other log and thereby enable the debarking of logs to take place consecutively with a minimum loss of time.

4. In a hydraulic barker, a

erly positioned by said support for engagement by said chucks and arms.

5. A hydraulic barker of the character described including a main stationary, a debarking nozzle moveable in a direction parallel to said fixed axis, and a stationary support for positioning a log in said ma- FRANK H. sWIF'r.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Andersen Aug. 4, 1914 Becker Dec. 28, 1926 Mingledorfl' Mar. 1, 1932 Kirkwood Apr. 25, 1933 Flateboe Nov. 18, 1941 Groene July 28, 1942 Bukowsky Sept. 7, 1943 

